57th Chicago Air & Water Show.

                        Tragedy & Diamonds in the Sky

The Evil Genius.

The problem with documenting history can daunting task when you learn that something awful happened, and it's your job to report the bad news. Sargent 1st Class Corey Hood logged over 200 successful jumps during his career as a Golden Knight before a mid-air collision on Saturday. News sources say that 32-year old Hood was unconscious and was unable to maneuver his emergency safety chute, plowing into a Downtown Condo at speeds up to 120 mph. Hood was pronounced dead just after four o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The Breitling Jet Team released flares to honor a fallen hero.

Photo By: Joe Donato. 

On a lighter note, the Chicago Air & Water Show has always conducted an extremely safe and conscientious way. Both Military and Civilian Air Teams take-off and land at Gary/ Chicago International Airport and fly over Lake Michigan in a safety fly zone approved by the FAA. Additionally, the event employs its own air traffic controller who oversees all the downtown air space during the show. So when a jet is flying over buildings, pilots are merely returning back to the flight path back to the airport.

Hosting the 57th Chicago Air & Water Show was no other then announcer, Herb Hunter. This marks Hunter's 28th year as MC to more then 1 million spectators at this years event.  Air teams such as, AeroShell, Firebirds Delta and Team Oracle offered thrills, excitement and breathtaking action at one of Chicago's favorite summertime events. New to this year's line-up is, the Breitling Jet Team
wowing the crowds with their L-39 Albatross jets that can reach speeds up to 565 mph. France has some serious firepower and Chicago welcomes them to the Windy City for the first time ever and is free to the public.

The U.S Navy Blue Angels

Next up the U.S. Navy Blue Angels fly overhead in a diamond formation, defying gravity and commanding respect with their F/A-18 Hornets. The Blue Angels are truly Rock Stars of the sky as they approached the magnificent skyline with Kick Start my Heart (Motley Crue) Who Do you Love ? (George Thorogood) and later rocking the beach with some Led Zeppelin. It was time to get the Lead out for these Blue Birds as these brave men soar with supersonic maneuvers reaching speeds of only 400 mph. Any faster,glass would burst from the Sonic-boom and a lot of people would be irate with the clean up cost.And who's going to flip the bill for that mess.

All things considered, the Chicago Air & Water Show is fun for all ages. It's time for family fun under the sun with out spending a ton of money. So grab the kids, fill your cooler with ice cream, pop and some snacks, relax and enjoy the good life being a Bum in the Sun. Until next time, stay safe and have a wonderful summer!

Photos By: Ken Kope